Recruiting Report: Clark Slajchert (2020)
Oak Park guard Clark Slajchert is one of the smoothest and most crafty scorers in his class in Southern California and he has his two older brothers to thank for helping him get that high level feel.
“I’ve never been an oversized guy and I’ve always played with my brothers (Wes and JD) who are taller than me,” Slajchert told Prep Hoops So-Cal at The Classic at Damien. “So I’ve always had to find ways to score.”
Scoring is in Slajchert’s DNA. The 6-foot-1 sophomore is equally effective both on and off the ball as he has the ball skills and elusive quality to create his own shot, but he also possesses the basketball IQ to use screens to get open and can knock down catch-and-shoot 3-pointers with consistency.
“The next step is getting stronger and getting even quicker,” Slajchert said of what he needs to work on. “I need to get way better defensively. I want to be the guy who can lock up the best player on the other team.”
Oak Park guard Clark Slajchert credits his crafty scoring ability to playing against his two older brothers growing up.Right now, Slajchert is able to focus on scoring the majority of the time he’s on the floor while playing alongside his brother Wes, a Dartmouth-signee, and Utah-bound forward Riley Battin.
“Riley and Wes make it easy for me,” he said. “I just play off of them and take open shots when they are there and my pull-up has been working for me this year.”
Oak Park was widely considered one of eight teams bound for the Open Division playoffs this season, but six early losses to good teams has that fate in question.
The youngest Slajchert believes the Eagles still have a chance at making the Open field.
“I think we just need to find our identity,” he said. “We’re really talented, but we don’t have that thing where we get down, defend and really want to win. Once we find that we can be really successful.”
It’s still early in Slajchert’s recruitment, but he holds two offers and has a ton of interest from mid to high major programs.
“I have offers from Pepperdine and Cal State Northridge and I’ve been talking to San Diego State, USC and St. Mary’s. I’m just getting better now and will focus on that next year.”